Ultrasoundvisualization of muscle mass in the diagnosis of sarcopenia in patients with arterial hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective. To study the advantages of assessing muscle mass using ultrasound for diagnosing sarcopenia in young and middle-aged patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Materials and methods. A cross-sectional (comparative), single-center study was conducted, including 92 patients of both sexes with AH grade I–II and NAFLD aged 31 to 59 years, the average age at inclusion was 47.9 ± 8.21 years. Muscle mass was determined in 3 ways: 1 – anthropometric methods by measuring the circumference of the shoulder muscles and calf circumference, 2 – ultrasound visualization of the thigh muscle tissue, 3 – dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) with the determination of muscle indices. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was performed using the SPSS 27.0 statistical software package (IBM, USA). The obtained data were interpreted as reliable, and the differences between the indicators were considered significant at p < 0.05.

Results. Anthropometric methods for assessing muscle tissue did not reveal significant differences between the study groups. Determination of muscle mass using the ultrasound method in patients with AH and NAFLD demonstrated a decrease in muscle size, as well as an increase in the thickness of subcutaneous fat in patients with sarcopenia. Numerous correlations were established between an increase in fat mass and a decrease in muscle mass.

Conclusion. In comparison with anthropometric methods, verification of muscle mass reduction using ultrasound imaging of the thigh muscles can contribute to the diagnosis of sarcopenia at earlier stages, and be an alternative method to DXA for determining muscle mass in patients with sarcopenia and comorbid pathology.

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